SIXTY years in the making, Liverpool’s rich music history is the subject of a groundbreaking new exhibition at the World Museum.

From The Beatles to The Zutons, the 40s to 2008 Capital of Culture year, this is the first exhibition of its kind to celebrate the city’s unique relationship with music.

“The exhibition takes a thematic approach, rather than a strictly chronological one, exploring aspects of Merseyside’s music scenes and highlighting the creative processes behind music making,” says Kay Jones, curator of community history.

“From folk to jazz to country, it looks at the influences that shaped the city’s sound.

“Obviously the river is at the heart of it. The fact that it was such an important port, with people coming and going to the rest of the world, made the city look outward.”

“We’ve looked at the acts that have played a part in creating the sounds of Liverpool and helped to spread the city’s music around the globe,” says Paul Gallagher, the museum's curator of contemporary collecting.

“More than that it explores the city’s musical identity, its successes and its future.

“Beginning with early influences that seeped into the port from across the Atlantic during the 1940s and 50s, it goes on to chart the phenomenal success of Merseybeat and the continuing popularity of Merseyside musicians today.”

The Beat Goes On draws on a wealth of material from record companies, institutions and National Museum’s own collection, as well as many loans from private collectors.

One of the highlights is the first ever public display of the Woolton church stage where John Lennon and Paul McCartney first met at a church fete in 1957. It was here that one of the most vital pop collaborations was born and aided Liverpool’s journey onto the world’s musical map.

"This stage is very significant in the history of popular music,” says Paul. “If John hadn't met Paul that day there could have been no Beatles or the international popularity of the Liverpool sound which spearheaded a musical and social revolution.”

Fab Four gems also include the jacket worn by John Lennon during the band’s 1964 tour and the vibrant All You Need is Love bedcover from John and Yoko’s Bed-in-for-Peace demonstration in Montreal in 1960.

Objects from other major Liverpool artists of the early periods include Billy Fury’s guitar and a dress made for Lita Roza, the first British female artist to ever have a UK number one hit in 1953 with How Much is that Doggie in the Window?

“We have some amazing pieces that people have loaned us,” says Kay. “Everybody we’ve asked has donated things.

“One section looks at musicians’ first guitars, and for that we’ve been lent James Skelly from The Coral’s first acoustic guitar, decorated with his own cartoons, and Will Sergeant from Echo and the Bunnymen’s beautiful guitar that he painted himself. There’s Stuart Sutcliffe’s first guitar, and Lee Mavers’ from The Las’s.

“And then there are the costumes. It really brings an era to life to see the clothes that people wore – the fashions that identified them within their social scene.”

Part of the exhibition focuses on Liverpool’s influential club Eric’s which opened in 1976, including a Vivienne Westwood suit designed for the cult band Deaf School and a wonderful collection of band T-shirts, photographs, posters and badges.

One display also looks at the plethora of bands and artists which came to prominence at the time such as Echo and the Bunnymen, Ian Broudie, OMD, Pete Burns and The Teardrop Explodes.

There’s even a mini-disco with a dance floor, showing the buoyant dance scene in Liverpool which stemmed from the legendary night club Quadrant Park in the early 1990s, through to the superclub Cream.

“We’re hoping that people will have a little dance,” laughs Kay. “As well as the guitar-based music, we wanted to remember DJs and clubbers of hedonistic nights out in Liverpool in its 90s heyday.”

The exhibition is bursting with interactive elements – with a host of working jukeboxes and even a karaoke booth and mini-recording studio where visitors can sing along to their favourite Scouse band or artists choosing from a menu of karaoke tunes for every generation.

“We’ve tried to choose tracks so there’s something for everyone,” says Paul. “There’s Ferry Cross the Mersey by Gerry and the Pacemakers, Valerie by The Zutons, Whole Again by Atomic Kitten, From Me to You by The Beatles, You to Me are Everything by The Real Thing, and All Together Now by The Farm.”

And they are keen to stress that it isn’t all older bands, with items from current club nights in Liverpool such as Chibuku and bands like The Coral, The Zutons and The Wombats.

“We’ve been out and got music from contemporary bands too,” says Kay. “That’s really important. And as time goes on we’ll keep doing it.

“We’re hoping people will come time and again to see how it develops. It’s one of those things you could come to with your family, or with a mate or on your own and each time you’d get something new. Plus, some parts change and evolve all the time.”

The exhibition has a presence on Myspace and Merseyside bands that join the exhibition’s friends will be in with a chance to become part of it.

Each month the museum will choose ten tracks from bands on its friends list. These tracks will be featured on the Myspace page as a monthly top ten chart, where the public will be able to vote for their favourite online.

The number one track at the end of each month will be added to one of the digital jukeboxes.

“The response to that has been great – a fantastic reaction,” says Kay. “Now we’re just waiting to see how the public respond to the exhibition.”

Paul adds: “It’s taken two years of preparation and a team of more than 20 to put it together, but now we can’t wait to see people enjoying it.”